"Die Farbe ist eine Kraft,
die die Seele direkt beeinflußt."
Wassily Kandinsky
„Colour has the power to influence our souls immediately “.
Wassily Kandinsky
An intensive experience
FLOW-painting
It is a grand challenge and adventure, applying fine art paints onto a plane canvas surface, pushing the paint colours with a wide paintbrush and letting their various shades mingle and bond to a kaleidoscope of colour nuances. The world of colour is full of diversity, working with it is breath taking.
You need neither a motive or concrete idea beforehand, nor do you have to think about what you are painting. Your concentration is completely focussed on colour and the many ways of blending the shades into an opulent range. It is rather like opening an enormous fan. You develop a complete colour universe out of the four or five chosen colours you started off with. At the same time, you are dealing with a plane surface without consciously producing lines.
Your artistic actions develop into an active meditational process.
Even though the method of FLOW-painting facilitates access and understanding of how to paint, it requires concentration, attentiveness and physical effort. This method is free from the obligation of having to paint „Some thing“, (an object or form). You learn about different paint qualities, their properties and application, using your paintbrush skilfully, for example:
(„heavy – light” „flicking on and off” „as quick as a flap of butterfly wings “„stroking the canvas softly and slowly “), the use of a cloth. At the same time, you are learning about the quality of the pigments and their consistency: creamy, supple, sensory, thick viscous or thin and runny, transparent, varnish-like.
You enjoy a refreshing time of „switch-off”…..
The actual experience of doing occupies your mind completely, your focus is fully involved in following the “needs” of the colour(s) and your own feelings. The colour challenges and demands to be your “dance partner” - sometimes you lead the way, sometimes it leads you. It calls for your “inner voice” to devote itself, solely to the task of discovering and finding the unique expression of colour.
This process makes you aware, you are moving in here and now. There is no room for everyday thoughts or even worries. You will experience that time passes differently from what you are used to in your daily life.
…….And at the same time, it is a solid basis for painting with acrylics.
You gain experience, learn and practice quite extensively, which is a solid and resilient basis for proficient painting:
Recognizing specific properties of the different shades of colour
Blending and mixing a wide range, and developing your own individual palette of colours
Preparing colour consistencies and employing them purposefully
Estimating the right amount of colour to be used
Learning how to deal with drying times
Choosing the right paint brush for use, handling and manner
Finding out the correct size and format of your canvas
Using the correct physical posture, also working at an easel
Developing an artistic awareness of “points of view”
Becoming confident in dealing with aspects of the depth of “light and darkness”
Learning how to express your own ideas and gesture, developing your artistic “trade mark”
At the same time, experiencing the condition of “FLOW”. It is important to be here and now, being absorbed by your action of doing. Forget place and time. Do not paint too quickly, on the other hand, practice being patient dealing with frustration.
Take on the challenge of changing your acquired accustomed habit and manner of painting, being confident, to try something new, to improvise and to search for alternative solutions and letting them happen.
